Health Minister Eatala Rajender has asserted that the government has taken all measures to allay fears or apprehensions of people about novel coronavirus and instil confidence among them in combating the pandemic.
“The government has studied the best practices from across the country and emulated them in effectively treating COVID patients,” he said. He said that though the world had faced several other viruses in the past, people faced them fearlessly as there was no publicity then. The incidence of COVID-19 had however led to fears among people, he said.
The Minister was participating in a meeting of the representatives of Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) organised on Friday, as part of efforts to sensitise them about COVID. He said the government had focused attention on the urban poor to reach out healthcare services to their doorstep.
As many as 200 Basti Dawakhanas have been opened in different areas so far in this direction and efforts were underway to open 100 more to cater to the needs of the vulnerable sections. Steps had been taken to ensure functioning of these clinics in the evenings too and they had been equipped with necessary equipment and adequate quantities of medicines to help the needy.
Testing to diagnose COVID was being conducted in 145 clinics and urban primary healthcare centres in addition to organising mobile camps to detect patients and check the spread of the virus. Around 60,000 tests were being conducted on an average every day in different parts of the State. “Early detection of the virus will help in effectively treating patients and hence, tests have been intensified,” he said recalling that the case fatality rate in the State was at 0.7%, much lower than the national average.
While apprehensions about the impact of the virus were a major cause of concern, the social stigma attached to COVID was posing a major challenge to the government. “We have seen cases where near and dear ones are leaving COVID patients to their fate. It is not proper on the part of people to ostracise such patients,” he said.
Since the efforts by the government alone would not suffice in removing the social stigmas, it was decided to enlist the help of organisations like RWAs in this regard. “Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is of the view that involving stakeholders like RWAs will go a long way in supplementing the government’s efforts,” he said, calling upon the representatives to join the government in combating the virus.
The Minister wanted RWAs to sensitise people about COVID and assured that he was prepared to participate in such awareness programmes if need be. He exhorted RWAs to utilise club houses, community halls, marriage halls and other spaces in their respective locations to treat patients. The government on its part was prepared to provide the necessary material like medicines and food to patients undergoing treatment.
The government would also appoint a nodal officer to inform people about the availability of testing and free treatment. COVID is not a killer disease, but people should not neglect it, he said.